Classic Drugstore Beauty Products Revisited: Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream

I'd like to thank so many of you for taking the time to let me know your thoughts about this new series. I was overwhelmed with the amount of feedback I received and I'm so glad that the majority of you are up for something like this! If you missed my original post, this series is all about returning to the classics and seeing if they still live up to today's standards.

For my first post, I thought I'd take a look at a classic facial cleanser that's been around since 1914:

 Noxzema Original Deep Cleansing Cream

(retail: $1.99, 2 oz)

Note: I purchased this 2-oz jar at my local Rite Aid for $1.99, but I believe the full-size jar retails for around $8.

According to Wikipedia, Noxzema's Original Deep Cleansing Cream was created in 1914 and its colbalt blue jar has remained a mainstay in drugstores ever since. From Wikipedia: Originally developed as a sunburn remedy, it is popular among women as a facial cleanser and make-up remover.

I've been using this product every night for a few weeks (you only need a small amount so this 2-oz jar has lasted me quite a while). As you can see, the ingredients include camphor, eucalyptus and menthol, which give it its signature "tingle":

It's been a long time since I used any type of cold cream product, so I forgot about how utterly unique the texture feels when you scoop it out of the jar:

In the above photo, it looks like a very solid product, doesn't it? But when you press your fingers into it, it's quite easy to "break off" a piece, and once you start rubbing it into your skin, it quickly liquifies. This transformation from solid to liquid is just so cool; it's my favorite thing about this product by far.

Sadly, I'm afraid that its unique texture is where my love affair with this product ends. After countless uses, I've come to the conclusion that this cleanser is not for me.

First off, it contains some heavy-duty oils, which coat the skin and enable it to remove makeup. That's great if you wear a lot of makeup, but it's not so great if you like your skin to feel squeaky-clean after using a cleanser. For me, this product is so heavy that even after rinsing repeatedly with water and a face cloth, the water literally beads up on my skin and never quite penetrates through the layer of oil. After using this product, I'm left with skin that feels so coated that I can't possibly conceive of using a moisturizer afterward (which is great if you like a 2-in-1 product but I prefer using a separate nighttime moisturizer). Two days into using this and I felt the uncontrollable urge to follow up with my "normal" cleanser just to try and remove the oily residue that was still on my skin.

I'd also like to state that this product broke out my skin in a few areas, which I attribute to the menthol in the ingredients. For the record, menthol breaks me out in any product, and I knew going into this that this product contained menthol. I guess I just held my breath and hoped for the best. Sadly, I now have a few small acne clusters on my chin and cheeks.

As for how effective it is at removing makeup, I'd say that it did a decent job at removing my foundation, concealer and blush, but not so much my mascara. I don't use waterproof mascara, so this was disappointing. Oh! And don't dare think of getting this product in your eyes because it will STING (there is a warning on the jar which you shouldn't take lightly--trust me on that one).

FINAL VERDICT: The texture of this product is so unique and downright fun to use. However, its classic scent is reminiscent of Vicks Vapo-Rub, and its heavy oil content leaves a coating on the skin that will cause water to bead up and never fully penetrate the product. I imagine that this product was perfect for women of yester-year when makeup products were quite heavy and oil-laden. I can see women in the 1920s, 30s and 40s depending on this product to remove a full face of makeup without the use of water but, in 2011, with so many other effective drugstore makeup removers on the market, I can't see this working for the average gal. Unless of course you've been using it your whole life, and/or have had it passed down from generation to generation. If this is a product that has been in your family for generations and you grew up using it and it works for you, I think that's a beautiful thing. For me personally, I just can't get past the layer of oil it leaves behind, and how difficult it has been to remove that layer using water, a face cloth, or even following up with another cleanser.

Do you or any women in your family use Noxzema Original Deep Cleansing Cream? If so, I would absolutely love to hear about your experiences. Perhaps there's a better technique for using this product that would make it feel less heavy after removal?